Donald edwaed bowling



(No Model.)

D. E. BOWLING.

GAB. GOUPLING.

Patented Dec. 27, 1887.

u PEIERS. Fhulu-l-Rlwgrapfwr. Washington. a. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT Drums.

DONALD EDWARD BOWLING, OF LYN GHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF- ONE-HALF TO W. W. H. HARRIS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,438, dated December 27, 1887.

Application filed September 28, 1887. Serial No. 250,926. (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD EDWARD Bow- LING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in (Jar-Ouoplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement or parts, fully set forth hereinafter, and speoifially pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of two couplers in which the coupling is about to be made. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of one of the couplers. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on line m 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail view of the follower. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 3 y of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the draw-head, having the flared mouth providedin the upper and lower sides with the aligned perforations or openings a a, respectively.

B designates a bracket arranged on the upper sideof the draw-head over the opening a therein, and the same is provided with an opening, I), to align with the openings at and a. The coupling-pin C is adapted to pass through the said aligned openings.

vD designates a sleeve at the rear end of the draw-head, comprising the upper and lower sides and the rear or end plate, (1, which latter is provided in the center with an opening, d.

E E designate shoulders formed on the upper and lower sides of the sleeve on the inner side.

F represents a sliding plate provided at the upper and lower edges with upwardly and downwardly extending ears ff, to embrace the upper and lower sides of the sleeve and guide the longitudinal movement of the plate therein. The said plate is provided in the center with an opening, f, and the plate is adapted to be forced against the shoulders E E within the sleeve. The said shoulders form the limit of the forward motion of the plate.

G represents a plate, similar in shape to the plate F, and having the guide-ears g g on the upper and lower edges thereof, to embrace the upper and lower sides of the sleeve.

H represents a bolt, which passes through an opening, in the center of the plate G, and extends, also, through the similarand aligned opening, f, in the plate F. The bolt is provided with an enlarged rear end, H, which forms a shoulder, h, at the rear side of the plate G, and a pin or key, It, is passed through the end of the bolt in front of the place F, to prevent the bolt from being drawn out of the openings in the plates.

. I represents a spring, which is coiled around the bolt H, between the plates G and F, which presses the said plates apart with great force. The plate F is pressed against the shoulders E E at the front end of the sleeve D, and the plate G is pressed against the plate d at the rear end of the said sleeve. The rear end of the bolt H projects some distance beyond the rear end of the sleeve D, (after passing through the opening (2' in the rear plate, 01,) and its rear end is adapted to bear against a suitable beam on the under side of the car-body. The body of the draw-head is thus allowed a longitudinal movewill force the latter back against the strength of the spring I.

K represents a sliding follower in the drawhcad, comprising the top and bottom plates, L L, respectively, at the front ends of which is arranged the V-shaped mouth or receiver M. The upper and lower sides of the said mouth at the front edge are notched, as seen at m m. A longitudinal slot, N, is formed in the lower side of the follower,which is adapted to receive and slide on the pin it, which is secured to the lower side of the draw-head. It will be seen that the forward motion of the follower is thus limited by the rear end of the slot coming in contact with the said pin. The rear ends of the plates L and L bear against the front side of the plate F, when the said follower is pushed in so that the notches in the front end thereof are aligned with the openings in the upper and lower sides of the draw-head. It will be seen that if the follower is pushed rearwardly after its rear end strikes against the plate F the said plate will be forced rearwardly in the sleeve D against the action of the spring I. Any shock upon the follower will thus be deadened.

\Vhenacouplingis to be made,the follower of the car which does not carry the link is drawn out to its farthest extent, and the coupling-pin G is engaged in the aligned openings 1) a in the bracket B and the upper side of the drawhead, with its lower endbearing on the top of the follower, which thus holds it up. As the link I whieh,carried by the approaching car, comes close to the end of the follower of the opposing coupler, a brakcman should raise the forward end of the link to enable it to enter the V-shaped mouth of the follower. The front end of the follower projects far enough beyond the end of the draw-head to enable the brakenian after he has properly directed the front end of the link to pass from between the cars and out of danger. As the cars continue to approach the follower is pushed in, and when the notches in the upperand lower sides of the mouth thereof become aligned with the openings in the upper and lower sides of the draw-head the coupling-pin will fall and engage the link, thus forming the coupling.

The coupling-link is preferably made short, so as to allow the ends of the draw-heads to come in contact before the spring I is entirely compressed, as if this provision were not made the link would be liable to be bent or broken. Therefore as the follower is pushed back the spring I yields and prevents a jar when the draw-heads come in contact, and if the press ure still continues the draw heads will be pushed back or under the car, the springs I being still further compressed. Thus the object in providing two movable or sliding plates, F and G, will be clearly seen-mamely, to enable both the follower and the entire draw-head to yield before pressure or a shock.

As will be readily seen, the construction of this coupler is extremely simple, and it therefore may be very cheaplymanufactured.

The general plan of the coupler is that of the ordinary pin-and-link coupler, the construction of which is well known.

Having thus described my invention, I clain1--= 1. The combination, with the draw -head having the aligned openings in the upper and lower sidesthcreof, of the sliding follower operating in the draw-head under the upper opening, and the coupling-pin adapted to be secured in the said upper opening with its lower end resting on the upper side of the said follower, the latter being adapted to be drawn out with its front end projecting beyond the front end of the draw-head when a couplingis to be made, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having the openings a a in the upper and lower sides thereof, of the follower comprising the upper plate, L, the lower slot- 3. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head having the aligned openings to and a in the upper and lower sides, respectively, the bracket B on the upper side having the opening I) therein to align with the said openings, and thevertieal pin a on the lower side, the follower K, comprising the V-shaped month or receiver M, having the notches m m in the upper and lower sides, and the top and bottom rearwardly-extcnding plates, L and L, the plate L being provided with a slot, N, to receive and slide on the pin a, and the pin 0, adapted to be engaged in the aligned openings 1) and a, with its lower end bearing on the top plate of the follower, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having the sleeve D at the rear end, of the sliding plate F, spring I, bearing against the rear side of the plate, and the follower K, independently movable in the drawhead and adapted to be forced at the rear end against the plate F, substantially as and for purpose specified.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having the sleeve D at the rear end, comprising the upper and lower sides and the rear plate, d, which is provided with an opening, (1', of the plate F, provided with the carsf on the upper and lower edges to embrace the upper andlower sides of the sleeve, the plate G, provided on the upper and lower edges with the ears 9 to embrace the upper and lower sides of the sleeve, the said plates being provided with aligned openings f and g, and the bolt I'I, passing through the said aligned openings and hearing at the rear end against any suitable rigid point, the spring I, coiled on the bolt between the plates, and the follower K, within the draw-head and adapted to bear at the rear end against the plate F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having the opening d in the rear end, of the plates F and G,sliding in the rear end of the draw-head and having aligned openingsf and g, respectively, bolt H, passing through the opening d and the aligned openingsf and g, and having a shoulder, h, to bear against the rear side of the plate G, the spring I on the bolt H, between the plates F and G, and the follower K in the draw-head, adapted to bear at the rear end against the plate F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a carcoupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, having the rear plate, d,

IIO

provided with a central opening, d, and the shoulders E E in front of said plate, of the sliding plates F and G, adapted to bear, respectively, against the shoulders E and the plate 01 and having aligned openings f and g therein, the bolt H, passing through the said aligned openings and having the enlarged rear end, H, adapted to bear against a beam under the ear-body, and the shoulder h, to bear against the rear side of the plate G, the spring Looiled on the bolt Hbetween the plates, and

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I 5 my own I have hereto alfixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DONALD EDWARD BOWLING.

Witnesses:

WM. M. iWIAYs, J NO. J. MAYS. 

